A New Day
by Imaginationqueen87
Summary: Surprises abound when Atem stuns Yugi and his friends by returning as his own person with no particular 'mission' just ready to live his life. What secrets are going to come to the surface? What friendships, if any, will change? Why am I asking you so many questions? The title is just a working title any suggestions for a better title are welcomed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh

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><p>The room was silent as the small panel gathered for the long anticipated meeting. They had watched for years as the Millennium items were in play. They monitored the use of these items by the individuals they chose and the actions of the spirts that inhabited the three inhabited items, the millennium ring, millennium puzzle and millennium rod. They were taking notes of the choices those spirits made and the way they interacted with the modern world with the idea that one might get to return in their own body to live out a new life.<p>

"I am sure you all know why this meeting was called." The host said as the panel of six men and women took their seats around the table.

"We are here to decide which of the spirits, if any, earned the right to return to earth and live out the lives they were denied millennia ago."

"The Spirits of the Millennium Ring and Rod have shown nothing but a desire to destroy and concur." One of the women stated.

"Could we really say any earned that privilege?" a male asked.

"The puzzle spirit showed a lot of promise compared to the other two; he didn't seem interested in that, he was more interested in his own mission and understanding himself and the humans that he was surrounded with." Another female stated.

"She's right, if any of them fought for the world, fought for those they were to protect, both the assigned person and any they assigned themselves to keep safe, as the puzzle spirt did with the chosen one's friends. It was the puzzle spirit, Atem." A third individual, a man, stated.

The other panel members agreed with her at least one seemed to agree despite the fact that he didn't appear to want to. It looked like he wanted to disagree with her and say that none of the spirits earned what they were proposing, but he seemed unable to find a viable argument against what she was saying. She was right; the pharaoh had showed an integrity and respect for life that the other two spirits didn't possess. They had to credit the chosen puzzle wearer and his friends for much of what happened with that spirit, the fact that he was pushed into social situations where he could hold onto his own humanity. During this time he discovered that caring was important and that the end never justified the means used to get there when innocent people were hurt or killed in the process.

There was also the fact that his host had the courage to fight through the initial fears he felt for the spirit and his presence in his body and mind. He had to be more human and approach the youth with care. He, unlike the others, seemed to realize it was the teen's choice to continue to wear the puzzle and give his body for the spirit's control and that if he approached with a kind word and proved trustable the teenager would allow him to remain. Though there was the fact that reaction was not difficult to bring forth in that particular spirit, he had been a rather selfless individual in life before his sacrifice to save the world from the shadow realmdarkness.

The Puzzle spirit also seemed to begin to bond with the youth that was chosen to hold the puzzle, looking at him almost like a son or younger brother longing to protect him and teach him whatever he could. In response the teen who wore the puzzle really began to look up to the spirit as a teen his age (or younger) might do his father or older brother. Given the fact that the teen had barely any relationship with his father and no older siblings to speak of it wasn't a surprise that this kind of spirit formed between the spirit of the puzzle and the owner of the body that wore it.

"So have we reached a verdict?" the host asked.

"I believe we have," the second woman to speak said standing "We vote unanimously to give the privilege of continuing to live to Atem, also known as Yami Yugi. He will be returned to Japan with his own vessel, and records created to allow him to live a normal life alongside his friends Katsuya Jonouchi, Mazaki Anzu, Muto Yugi and Hiroto Honda."

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><p>Meanwhile Atem stood looking out off a balcony over the world he had found himself in after taking the step into the afterlife. He knew he should be happy here with those he had known in his life but he just couldn't forget the looks on his friends' faces as he left them. The feelings never expressed the words he knew were left unspoken between all of them.<p>

The world he had ended up in looked a lot like the ancient Egypt he remembered from so long ago, but for some reason he found this world unfulfilling. He missed his friends and the many technological advances that made life in their world so easy.

Honda and Jonouchi were like brothers standing by his side supporting him through thick and thin and forcing him to be honest about his motivations to himself and to them. They weren't afraid to speak their minds no matter what he wanted to hear. Jonouchi had even had the guts to punch him in the face when it was thought necessary.

Yugi was an even stronger force that to keep him honest on his motives as to maintain the boy's trust. Not only that, Yugi was like the child he was, in life, denied by his early death at not even 19 years of age and having never taken a wife though he'd had his eyes on a woman he would have taken as a bride. He found from the beginning that he longed to keep Yugi safe from harm as his innocent spirit reminded him of all that was good in the world.

Then there was Anzu, she was spirited and beautiful both inside and out and that drew him so much more than he wanted to admit. That was where more the most unspoken words lay, at least from his prospective, but he could never have done that to her. He always had a feeling he was not meant to remain among his friends so he couldn't bear to hurt her by expressing that he loved her more than she would ever comprehend. That he longed to hold her in his arms; that his life meant little without her and their friends in it then leaving them, especially her, to deal with the emotional aftermath.

"Atem…" a female voice ripped him from his thoughts.

He looked at her over his shoulder, barely acknowledging her presence.

"You miss them, don't you, the friends you made back on earth, Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda…" she paused briefly for effect "…Anzu"

Atem's demeanor changed rapidly when her name came from the woman's lips. He went tense, what did she know about his relationship with Anzu relative to the others? Did she mean Anzu harm?

"Who are you?" Atem demanded turning rapidly to face the woman who spoke to him.

"That is not important" she replied "what is important is what you would do if you were given a chance to return to earth, no strings, no mission, just you in your own body, living with your friends and the woman you obviously love."

Atem looked baffled by what she was stating.

"Don't look so shocked, you did so much that would better the world, protecting your friends and giving Yugi the kind of courage he would never have without your influence. You did so much for others why would you think no one would do anything for you?" she smiled as she walked over to the balcony and leaned on the railing.

"Just think of it for a moment, going back down to earth seeing the people you care about again. Getting to tell them you're there to stay. Getting to tell her that you love her…" Her tone was casual "I know Yugi was always important to you, you'd get to see him reach the goals he has, achieve the dreams he has and the desires you had for him. Then there is Anzu… I saw that look when I mentioned her, you love her; with this gift you'd be free to tell her how you felt, be by her side as she finds her path to her dreams. You can hold her in your arms, and… maybe do more, I get the feeling that crush wasn't one-sided."

"That would… that would be amazing." He admitted leaning back against the banister. "But how would I explain my own presence. To that world I haven't existed in over 3 millennia."

"We have all of that handled. All you need to worry about is living your new life." She replied simply. "It's time, are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes, I am, but where will I end up?"

"You'll see, and you will see your friends quickly after you arrive." She replied cryptically "Be sure to say happy birthday to Anzu when you see her."

A blinding flash of light surrounded Atem…

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Anzu stepped out of the Muto house a sad look on her face. It wasn't that her birthday wasn't going really well, it was, but she missed Atem, she had hoped that he would have been able to be there for her birthday, but he was gone. She looked up to the stars wondering if he could see her from where he was.

"I miss you so much, Yami… Atem, I wish you hadn't had to leave us, at least not yet." She whispered looking at some distant point in the sky.

Atem was shocked when he saw Anzu step out of the Muto house a sad smile on her face, he knew that the group missing him was a big factor in why she was so sad when he knew from what the woman had sent him said that it was her birthday so he had hoped she would be happy.

Anzu looked up as a strange figure walked towards her out of the shadows. She became afraid until she realized there was something familiar about the silhouette of the person approaching her. As he got closer she began to realize whom it was.

"Atem…" she said her heart hopeful that she was right, but something inside her kept reminding her that he was gone… or was he.

"Yes, Anzu, it's me," Was the simple reply.

There was no mistaking that noble sounding voice. He stepped into the light and she gasped in shock, her heart jumping into her throat.

"Atem…!" Anzu ran to him throwing her arms around his neck, which was made so much less uncomfortable since he was now only a few inches shorter than Jonouchi.

Atem embraced Anzu as she began to sob on his shoulder.

"Easy Anzu, I'm here now," he cooed to her gently. He was still trying to process exactly what had happened moments earlier but all of that could wait, Anzu was in his arms. It was a moment he never dreamed would happen.

"I thought I'd never see you again." She admitted. Atem caught the fact that she said "I" instead of "we" and wasn't sure what to think of this slip, was Yugi's suspicion true, was she in love with him.

"I didn't think I'd see you again either." He admitted.

He held her for several minutes before others started coming out of the house to see what was keeping Anzu so long.

"Anzu…" Yugi called his voice laced with concern. He got out the door and was shocked when he saw Atem embracing Anzu.

"Yami!" he yelled running towards Anzu and the former puzzle spirit.

The use of his old name brought a smile to Atem's face; he had gone by 'Yami' for so long it seemed strange to use his original name. Atem and Anzu welcomed Yugi into their embrace.

"I can't believe you're back, this is amazing!" Yugi said his voice full of excitement and Atem couldn't help but smile at Yugi's enthusiasm.

"Yugi… what's going on I thought Yami went… into… the… oh man he's back!" Jonouchi said coming through the door to see Yugi and Anzu with Atem who was in a rather unusual outfit for him but given the chill in the air that was unsurprising, he was wearing black jeans a grey long sleeved pullover with a darker, gunmetal grey sweater vest. The only part of the outfit that they had seen before was the black leather boots.

"Pharaoh, how… when did you get back…?" Jonouchi asked obviously in shock.

"The how is as much a mystery to me as it is to you, when well I've only been here a few minutes." Atem replied the embrace that now encompassed Anzu and Yugi breaking "And I'm not a pharaoh anymore, my name is Atem." he corrected Jonouchi.

Honda and Sugoroku exited the house a few moments after Jonouchi and realized quickly what had happened.

"Well… Atem, welcome back," Jonouchi said with a smile.

"Come inside everyone" Sugoroku suggested realizing that most of those out there were not dressed for the chilly weather.

Honda was just too stunned to speak.

The teens all agreed and were soon sitting around the Muto living room chatting excitedly about the fact that the friend they thought they had lost forever was in their midst again.

"So… Atem, is this return temporary or…" Jonouchi said finally voicing the question that had been haunting the group since they saw him. Anzu hadn't asked as couldn't stand to ask for the pain of what the answer might be. Honda and Yugi had not found a way to voice the question as they almost didn't want to know the answer themselves.

"I'm here to stay, Jonouchi." Atem replied.

A thrill of excitement flew through the room as they realized they had their friend back for good.

Anzu looked at Atem as he told them that he was back to stay. She was beginning to wonder what this meant for him, his relationships with those around him were given new life and there was new hope for her and her feelings for him. She had no idea how Atem felt about her, he had always kept his emotions closely hidden so she had no idea what would come for her.

Atem looked at Anzu playing through the possible options he had for telling her how he felt for her. He had a good idea how she felt but he was still extremely nervous about admitting his feelings for her. He knew that she deserved to know about how he felt now that she had a chance to experience his love for her. Before he could try to get her to come with him into another room, Yugi caught eye contact with Atem then intervened suggesting that he and Anzu needed a few private moments. Yugi knew how Atem felt about Anzu and for a while he shared his counterpart's feelings for her, but now he felt different, she was more like family to him now, so he was willing to support Atem's attempts to win the heart of his longtime friend.

This got some strange reactions from Jonouchi and Honda who reluctantly left the room along with Sugoroku who had a knowing smile on his face. Yugi walked over to Atem and whispered something in his ear before following his friends and grandfather out of the room. Atem stood and took a deep breath before guiding Anzu to stand in front of him.

"What… why are they…" Anzu looked between her retreating friends and Atem in confusion.

Atem felt a knot forming in his throat, what if he and Yugi were wrong about Anzu's feelings for him. He swallowed that knot and finally found his voice.

"Anzu… I need to tell you something but…" Atem looked down as he tried to speak

"Atem, what's wrong?" Anzu asked.

"I'm just… I've never been this nervous about anything." He admitted making eye contact again.

"Why… what's going on?"

After a few moments Atem gave up on words and decided to go for broke.

Anzu was confused as he ran the fingers of his right hand against her cheek, his hand coming to rest below her ear. That confusion morphed into shock when he leaned in and claimed her lips with his own. It took her a few seconds to start to respond to the kiss, her eyes, at first, going wide in shock before sliding closed as she melted into his kiss and his arms as he embraced her. He wanted to push the kiss further but didn't want to risk pushing it too far.

They parted and Anzu still seemed stunned by the kiss. He pulled her into an embrace.

"I love you, Anzu," he whispered "I have for longer than you realize."

"I… I love you, too" she replied returning the embrace. "Why didn't you tell me before that you felt this way?" she asked.

"There are a lot of reasons I hid what I felt. I didn't want you to get hurt and between the fact that I was sure I wasn't going to be here forever and the fact that I knew my enemies would not be above hurting you to get to me. I thought it was best to bury my feelings for you and just try to live on just being your friend," Atem explained "It was the only way I knew that I could keep you safe, and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if you got hurt because of me."

Anzu snuggled close to him, she understood why he did what he did then and now that he was there to stay she knew he would be there for her.

They were still embracing when the others entered, but quickly split apart blushing furiously.

"Did we interrupt something?" Jonouchi asked.

Yugi did his best to hide his laughter as their blush deepened

Jonouchi volunteered to walk Anzu home but Anzu's mom arrived before they left to drive her home as it had begun to rain and she didn't want Anzu to become ill.

Jonouchi and Honda rode with Anzu and her mom, which left Atem alone with the Muto family.

Atem sighed he still wasn't sure where he was going to end up living until Sugoroku offered to allow him to remain with them.

"I couldn't stay for free." Atem insisted.

"Then you can help me run the game shop, I'm not as young as I used to be. I could always use the help." Sugoroku suggested. "That would cover you staying here and allow for you to have some spending money for yourself."

Atem wanted to refuse but the idea of actually having a little money in his wallet had an appeal to him. He wanted to be able to do things for Anzu now that he had admitted his feelings for her.

Then the question came up that Atem had yet to learn how he was supposed to answer. How were they to explain his sudden appearance?

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

The woman that had given Atem the news of his return came back to him later that evening to give him the knowledge he needed to move forward and answer any awkward questions that could come up. According to the knowledge of the outside world Atem was Yugi's cousin and he was born in Egypt. He was also 18 years old and according to the records had graduated high school with very respectable grades. The time in Egypt explained many things including why his skin tone was so much darker than that of his friends and why he had a slight accent when he spoke Japanese.

He had several decisions he had to make including if he wanted to continue dueling in tournament competition or not. Yugi had decided he wanted to step back, at least for the moment and relax. The last few tournaments he was in were extremely stressful and he needed to relax and refocus on school. Atem couldn't fault him for that he had seen how the stress affected Yugi. It had hurt him to see Yugi having nightmares after Duelist Kingdom and Battle City, particularly the latter. He wasn't surprised by this due to all the bad things that happened during Battle City. Atem had done his best to help Yugi through those moments in his life, but there were days when it felt like nothing helped.

Atem told Yugi and Sugoroku exactly what he was told and they found that story to be believable given his appearance, apparent age and slight accent. The others hadn't said anything aloud about an accent but they all kind of expected it once he got his own form, he was very understandable so it wasn't going to be issue. His Japanese was as good as a native speaker so really it didn't matter that he had a mild foreign accent most everyone would understand him without much issue.

Yugi soon went to bed but Atem found that sleep didn't come. He was worried what this all meant for him, sure he had been told he had no mission, that he was sent back to just live out his life, but he couldn't easily accept that.

Sugoroku smiled slightly as he caught Yami checking in on Yugi. He didn't blame the teen, apparently Atem had been with Yugi for years and this being independent of Yugi was new to the former pharaoh.

"He's fine, Atem, he was so happy to see you I'm shocked he can sleep." Sugoroku couldn't hide the amusement in his tone.

"I'm not used to not knowing what's going on with him. Even when he slept I kept watch over him. He had so many nightmares." Atem sighed. "Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, they haunted him for so long."

Sugoroku looked shocked; he had been unaware that Yugi had any issues with nightmares.

"I did what I could to help him through," he admitted. "I couldn't stand to see him hurting, he needed me so much and I felt I had to keep him safe."

"You were like brothers, granted the fact that you shared one body made things a little weird." Sugoroku admitted.

"I never thought about it while it was happening, it was my life, it was part of the mission I had to complete. Now… I don't know, back then the moment he started to get distressed I knew and I could step in to calm him or take over to resolve the situation. The latter solution I used more early on when he didn't know I existed, when I didn't interact with him. After he learned of my presence we struck a deal, I wouldn't take control without his consent unless he lost consciousness and the situation was too dangerous for him to remain that way. Then I'd step in to keep him safe, but those situations were extremely rare, I honestly can only think of one instance when I ever had to. Usually I respected his wishes and let him initiate the switch."

Atem leaned on the wall.

"The puzzle wasn't the only millennium item that had a spirit locked within, but the other spirits were not like me, they… they were more malicious than I ever was. No matter what I did I always had the best intentions for Yugi in mind. The Spirit of the Millennium Ring, I don't think he ever had Bakura's best interest in mind, he only worried about himself although his self-preservation instinct sometimes had a way of working in Bakura's favor."

"I always knew there was something strange going on with my grandson, especially when he was dueling. I noticed he was more confident while dueling, that was you, wasn't it?" Sugoroku asked.

"Sometimes it was just me, sometimes we worked together; it just depended on the situation and his mental state. If he were too distressed to focus I'd fight for him, if the shadow games were involved in any way I took control, he couldn't handle those, not on his own, he was never strong enough to handle that. Those were always me."

"Shadow…"

"It's a long story," Atem admitted and did his best to explain why he ended up in those games. He was worried about what came up when the topic of those early games came up. He knew Sugoroku worried about his grandson and somewhere inside he was afraid he would lose his welcome in this home when the truth came out.

"I didn't initiate many after Yugi began to realize something was going on, usually Bakura or Merrik were my main opponents in the shadow games and when they were the opponent they initiated the games." He sighed, "I did initiate quite a few early on with the intention of protecting Yugi and his friends from harm. I do regret scaring him with them, but when it comes to the games and their outcomes I have to confess I regret nothing." Yami sighed "Maybe they got harsh at times but I had considered long and hard those I tested with them and did my best to make sure the outcome would protect Yugi and others from further harm."

Sugoroku thought about what Atem was saying for a moment.

"You kept him safe, I can't be angry with you about that… he needed someone to stand by him and help him find the strength in himself and I must admit you did well." Sugoroku placed a hand on Atem's back "I may never understand what all happened during that time but at least I can rest knowing that my grandson was in good hands."

Atem looked at Sugoroku in shock that was the last thing he had ever expected especially since he admitted to the early issues and stated flatly that he regretted little about those days.

"There is something to say about Yugi's ability to judge people, I've found he is an extremely good judge, and I don't think he's trusted many more than he has trusted you. That says a great deal about what he thought of you, sure your methods were harsh at times but there were reasons for the way you were and apparently you both learned from each other."

Atem nodded, Sugoroku was right, he had learned a lot from Yugi or relearned things from him. Those traits were always in him; Yugi just brought them to the surface. Yugi showed him that kindness, compassion and forgiveness were powerful things. These lessons lead Atem to finding powerful friendships with Jonouchi, Honda and a bigger relationship with Anzu.

"Go to bed, Atem, even former pharaohs need sleep" Sugoroku laughed pushing Atem towards the bedroom that had been assigned to him.

"Okay, I'll try… good night."

Sugoroku watched as Atem slipped into the room. He had been shocked to learn of the spirit's presence within the puzzle and at first he had tried not to think about what that had meant for Yugi. Now he was learning about the friendship Yugi and Atem had formed during their time together. Yugi had always been a bit timid and quiet; Atem was confident sometimes to the point of outright arrogance, and willing to fight back when the situation called for that kind of action. Atem had taught Yugi that it was okay to be confident; it was okay to stand up for what he believed in and stand up for his friends. On the other side Yugi had taught Atem that there was some reward to humility and stepping back to let others shine. Really they had been a good match to each other.

'I guess I should thank you, Atem, you did more for my grandson than I ever could. Probably more than even you realize.' Sugoroku chuckled to himself before going to bed.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Several days passed and everything seemed to be settling into place, but a new tournament was about to start and the question of "is Yugi going to compete?" still lingered in the air. It had become apparent early on that no one really paid attention to Atem when he decided to enter this tournament; no one knew who he was. Sure he looked a lot like Yugi but everyone knew it wasn't Yugi. He was too tall to be Yugi for one thing, having shot up to 5'7" now that he had his own form, his skin was also darker as if proclaiming to the world he was from somewhere other than Japan.

Yugi had decided to compete one last time in tournament then retire; his ultimate goal was to lose to Atem in order to pass the title "King of Games" to him before retiring from competition.

Atem had protested Yugi's plan as it had been proven Yugi could win against him but in the end had to admit that he understood why Yugi was doing this. He had never wanted to be a tournament card player, he always dueled for fun, and to him the stress of competition wasn't fun. Atem on the other hand enjoyed the thrill of competition, at first he had been reluctant to admit that fact due to the fact that he shared Yugi's vessel and knew if Yugi had his way they wouldn't compete like that. Now that he was independent he could admit that he liked the competition, the challenge that came with dueling as long as lives weren't on the line.

The tournament was an international competition and Atem could tell Yugi was favored to win. He was among the new competitors that were considered 'underdogs' and the ones to eliminate before the fun began. If only they knew what was coming.

Defeating "Inesector" Haga was almost embarrassingly easy, how this guy became a champion still mystified Atem. He had almost laughed aloud when he learned that another 'newcomer' had eliminated "Dinosaur" Ryuzaki about the same time he had eliminated Haga. He had not been able to see that duel as he was in a duel himself, but from what he heard from Mai the young duelist, Kwon Nuri, had made a show of wiping the floor with Ryuzaki. It only added insult to injury to find out she was 14, barely old enough to compete in this tournament.

"Beaten by a kid, had to have been a slap in the face for Ryuzaki." Mai commented casually.

"Sounds like a talented girl." Atem agreed.

"So who is your next opponent?" Mai asked.

"Yugi…" Atem replied simply.

"Ouch… at least you're getting that duel out of the way early." Mai commented. "I'm not sure who I'm going against; I've never seen the name before."

"Give it your best," Atem smirked.

"Same to you," Mai replied her tone and smirk mirroring Atem's own. "I expect to see you in the finals."

"Same to you," Atem returned as they walked their separate ways.

Atem wasn't sure when it happened but he and Mai had formed a friendly rivalry on the duel field. He figured it started in Duelist Kingdom when she pushed him to do his best in every duel no matter the stakes.

Mai smiled there had never been anything romantic about the way she saw the former puzzle spirit he wasn't her type. She had figured out early on in battle city that someone else had eyes for him and perhaps vice versa, he had eyes for that girl, Mazaki Anzu. She had no idea how this has played out since he gained his own form but she knew it would be hard for Anzu to watch Atem and Yugi duel it out a second time, at least this time Atem wouldn't leave this world if he lost. Sure he'd be eliminated, but he would still exist in this world.

Atem sighed as he stepped up to the duel arena, he wasn't looking forward to this duel, but he and Yugi had agreed to give it their all. Somewhere in the back of his mind Atem wondered if Yugi would actually give his all to this duel, he wanted to lose after all.

* * *

><p>Anzu watched Atem and Yugi take their places and had to resist the urge to bite her nails. This was way too stressful for her.<p>

"Gum…" a female voice offered casually.

"I'm good," Anzu replied "Thanks anyway."

"Take a piece; it's good for the nerves." The girl insisted.

"Okay…" Anzu wasn't sure this girl had any idea what she was talking about but she took a stick of gum out of the package anyway. "Thanks, are you a duelist?" she asked then popped the stick of gum in her mouth, it was a standard mint gum, nothing spectacular but it was still good.

"Yes, my name is Amanda."

Anzu looked over at the girl in surprise she was a foreigner. Anzu quickly realized she did have a foreign accent, but she did speak really good Japanese. Anzu then looked at the gum wrapper it was a foreign brand.

"If you're wondering what I meant by the gum being good for your nerves, chewing gum fools the brain into thinking you're eating something, and if your life was in danger you wouldn't be eating." Amanda explained. "Let me guess, they're both friends of yours and you feel guilty about cheering for either of them."

Anzu nodded as they looked over the field.

"Yugi has been my friend since elementary school. He introduced me to Atem and we've been dating for a little over a week."

"Hard spot to be in," Amanda sighed "Their related aren't they?"

"Cousins, how could you tell?"

"They have too many similar features to coincidence."

"I'm confused why you would be here, in this tournament." Anzu asked.

"I'm a champion in America and I was invited here to this tournament, so I came, if for no other reason than to show that American champions are not all like Keith Howard and maybe get the chance to say I dueled against Yugi." Amanda sighed "I have no delusions that I'd win against him, it would just be nice to say I had the chance to duel him, if not, then I could tell my friends I got to see him duel in person."

Amanda gasped as Yugi's life points dropped sharply.

"That Atem is good…" she commented.

"They both are…" Anzu replied wringing her hands. It wasn't looking good for Yugi; little did she know things were going exactly as Yugi wanted them to.

Amanda's hand went to her mouth in shock.

"Oh my… I don't believe this… Yugi… Yugi just lost!"

Anzu looked around as a stunned silence fell over the crowd, no one wanted to believe the 'King of Games' had fallen, but he just did. A newcomer had eliminated him way too early in the tournament.

Anzu then noticed Yugi didn't seem too broken up about losing to Atem. She always knew Yugi to be a very good sport when it came to losing. Sure he didn't like it but he did well about not being a sore loser.

They shook hands and made it look like Yugi was congratulating Atem, which really he was as they hadn't been sure that Atem would win the duel. They had planned not to throw the duel and Yugi went through with not throwing it, or if he did, he did a good job of hiding it.

The crowd had begun to roar with applause, that was one of the best duels of the year, with the biggest surprise ending since Yugi beat Pegasus.

"It has to feel good for you to see that over." Amanda said.

"Yeah, I… I hate that they had to duel this soon, but I guess it's best to just get it over with." Anzu admitted.

"Yeah, if I had to duel a family member I'd want to just get it out of the way." Amanda agreed.

"Why aren't you dueling?"

"My opponent sucked, this was one of the longest duels this round, it's kind of surprising really. Yugi usually deals out pretty quick wins, but it seems he finally found an opponent that could best him."

"Yeah, it does…" Anzu agreed.

"I've got to go, it was good to meet you." Amanda said walking away pretty sure it was time for her next duel.

* * *

><p>Several rounds went by and Nuri was making a good showing of staying one-step ahead of most opponents she faced. Then the quarterfinals came and things began to change. It had been a surprise when she took out "Dinosaur" Ryuzaki in the first round but it was a true shock when she eliminated the reigning American Champion Amanda Green in the last round. This landed her square in the quarterfinals along with the likes of Kaiba Seto, Jonouchi Katsuya and Kujaku Mai. She wasn't the only newcomer to make it this far, Atem had also made it this far under the name of Atem Yamamoto. Nuri looked up to Mai and wasn't looking forward to meeting her in the dueling arena.<p>

Nuri sighed as she looked to see who her opponent was and let out a long drawn out breath. This was going to be a challenge she was going against another great duelist, Kaiba Seto. She had been stunned to see him in the roster at all and to face him this soon put her teeth on edge.

"Okay girl, don't psych yourself out just yet; he's not undefeatable, Muto Yugi proved that," She told herself as she walked up to the platform and made eye contact with him. She tried to seem unaffected by the situation but everyone could tell she was nervous.

To Be Continued…


End file.
